R&D Scientist

Symex Labs is a purpose driven medical technology start-up born from its founders' personal experience with infertility. An experience that showed there was extensive room for improvement when it comes to personal tracking of hormones - not only during the fertility journey but more widely across a number of health applications. Thus, the idea to build a wearable bio-sensing patch for the tracking of hormones and Symex Labs was born.

Using their expertise from holding executive positions in the MedTech space and technical know-how from working in previous start-ups, the founders have taken Symex Labs from idea conception to a product in development that is backed by Monash IVF Group and supported by investors.

As we continue our product development journey, we are seeking a highly qualified and experienced R&D Engineer with a minimum of 3 years of relevant industry experience (academic experience may be acceptable in some cases). As a key member of our product team, the R&D Engineer will contribute to the design and optimization of novel electrochemical biosensors for human use applications. We are looking for candidates with a strong electrochemistry background and expertise in silicon, surface treatment, and material science.

Responsibilities:

• Biosensor Design and Optimization: Develop, fabricate, and optimize electrochemical biosensors for human use applications.
• Experimental Evaluation: Conduct electroanalytical experiments, applying surface treatment techniques for enhanced biosensor performance.
• Physiological Signal Evaluation: Utilize advanced techniques, including chemistry, electrochemistry, spectroscopy, and mechanical methods for evaluating human physiological signals.
• Characterization and Evaluation: Proficiently characterize biosensors using advanced electrochemical techniques, such as Amperometry, Cyclic Voltammetry, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy or characterization of Field Effect Transistor (FET) systems (or ISFET).
• Material Science: Understand polymer materials, coating technology, and material/biological interfaces.
• Collaboration and Project Management: Collaborate across disciplines, liaise with technical program manager, and ensure well-organized experiment design and execution.
• Experimental and Statistical Analysis: Design experiments (DOE), employ statistical techniques (e.g., T-test, ANOVA), and ensure rigorous significance testing.
• Team Management: This role may require supervision of a small team of scientists and may involve direct reports in the future.

Essential Experience / Key Selection Criteria:

• Experience with semiconductor fabrication processes (e.g., lithography, etching, deposition, doping).
• Hands-on expertise in microfabrication and nanofabrication techniques relevant to biosensors.
• Knowledge of surface functionalization and bio-interface engineering on silicon substrates.
• Experience in electrochemical, optical, or field-effect transistor (FET)-based sensing approaches.
• Proficiency in characterizing silicon-based sensors, including electrical, mechanical, and biochemical validation.
• Experience integrating bioreceptors (e.g., antibodies, enzymes, nucleic acids) onto silicon-based devices.
• Understanding of MEMS technologies and their application in biosensing.

Desirable Experience:

• Working knowledge / background in polymer chemistry and/or polymer electrochemistry.
• Prior experience working in a cleanroom for both laboratory experimentation and manufacturing.
• Experience in a regulated environment and/or the medical device field.
• Proficient in data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, Python, Matlab) and statistical methods.
• Team lead or task management experience.

Qualifications:

• PhD or a Research based degree (e.g. MEngSc., MSc.) in a relevant field with a minimum of 3 years of applicable experience in the industry. Academic experience may be acceptable if highly relevant and gained in a high performance and fast paced environment.
• Demonstrated record of achievement in industry as contributions to commercially available products (or within academia as evidenced by first-author research articles or patents).

Other Requirements:

• Must have Australian citizenship/permanent residence or an appropriate visa with full-time working rights.
• Must be located or willing to relocate to Melbourne.

How To Apply:

Please apply with a recent copy of your resume along with a cover letter addressing Key Selection Criteria.